Label transfer wheel

ABSTRACT

A transfer wheel with a radially extended land portion for transferring address-bearing labels or the address information therefrom onto articles being labeled. The transfer wheel land includes a series of thin slot-like vacuum holddown grooves extending along the periphery thereof in the plane of transfer wheel rotation. An individual vacuum admission port is provided for each holddown groove adjacent the leading end thereof, the ports being normally open to the atmosphere and serving to initially attract and attach the leading end of the labels thereto. The arrangement is such that direct communication of the supply ports with the atmosphere is first closed off by the label itself, thereby enhancing the vacuum pull-down effect within the holddown grooves to progressively cause the remainder of the label to be attached to the surface of the transfer wheel land in a sort of rolling action so that free spots or buckling of the label is avoided. As a further modification, in heat transfer applications, the surface of the land consists of a resistor type heating material alongside and between the vacuum holddown grooves to heat the label prior to transfer.

United States Patent [191 McGuire et al.

[451 Feb. 27, 1973 LABEL TRANSFER WHEEL [75] Inventors: John V. McGuire, Deerfield; Donald W. Watson, Arlington Heights, both of III.

[52] US. Cl. 156/539, 156/556, 156/567,

156/568, 156/571, 219/244, 219/471 [51] Int. Cl. ..B65c 9/08, B650 9/14, B65c 9/24 [58] Field of Search ..156/539, 556, 564, 566, 567, 156/568, 571, DIG. 21, DIG. 28, DIG. 30,

DIG. 31, DIG. 33, DIG. 39, DIG. 40, DIG.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,532,854 10/1970 Sheriff ..219/216 3,152,943 10/1964 Eddison et al. ..l56/D1G. 31 3,005,565 10/1961 Doane et al. ..156/571 2,492,908 12/1949 Von l-lofe ..156/DIG. 31 2,722,332 11/1955 Carter ..156/571 X 3,026,238 3/1962 Dotzenroth... ..156/D1G. 31 3,159,521 12/1964 Pechmann ..156/568 X 3,222,059 12/1965 Southcott ..156/571 X 3,464,871 9/1969 Primary Examiner-Daniel J. Fritsch Attorney-James .l. Ralabate, Norman E. Schrader and Frederick E. McMullen [5 7] ABSTRACT A transfer wheel with a radially extended land portion for transferring address-bearing labels or the address information therefrom onto articles being labeled. The transfer wheel land includes a series of thin slot-like vacuum holddown grooves extending along the periphery thereof in the plane of transfer wheel rotation. An individual vacuum admission port is provided for each holddown groove adjacent theleading end thereof, the ports being normally open to the atmosphere and serving to initially attract and attach the leading end of the labels thereto. The arrangement is such that direct communication of the supply ports with the atmosphere is first closed off by the label itself, thereby enhancing the vacuum pull-down effect within the holddown grooves to progressively cause the remainder of the label to be attached to the surface of the transfer wheel land in a sort of rolling ac tion so that free spots or buckling of the label is avoided. As a further modification, in heat transfer applications, the surface of the land consists of a resistor type heating material alongside and between the vacuum holddown grooves to heat the label prior to transfer.

3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEU FEB 2 7 I975 SHEET 10F 5 mmw H NUM N VC 0 m w A BY W PATENTED 2 7 I973 SHEET 0F 5 FIG. 5

PATENTEB FEB 2 7 [E173 SHEET 5 BF 5 LABEL TRANSFER WHEEL The invention relates to an addressing machine label transfer wheel, and more particularly, to a transfer wheel having an improved label attaching means.

In the automatic labeling of articles such as envelopes or the like, various methods and machines are known for transferring the address bearing labels themselves or the address information therefrom to the articles. A typical method involves feeding the unaddressed articles beneath a rotating heated label transfer wheel. A surface portion of the transfer wheel is oriented to receive and temporarily hold, by means of vacuum, the previously addressed labels coated with a heat activated adhesive on the label underside. As the label transfer wheel rotates, the label is heated and brought into physical contact with the article being addressed to transfer the label from the wheel to the article.

Another method of labeling articles utilizes labels formed from a carbon paper-type material. Here, the pressure contact between the label and article in the presence of heat transfers the address information from the label to the article, the labels themselves being temporarily held on the transfer wheel until such time as the used label is 'past the transfer point. There, the used label is released to permit the transfer wheel to pick up the next label.

It is important in these applications, for effective transfer of the label itself or the address information therefrom, that heat be supplied to the label evenly and in sufficient quantity. For as can be understood, uneven heating of the label may cause incomplete transfer of either the label or the address information from the label to the article being addressed. If the labels, which are supported on a normally heated land or shoe portion of the transfer wheel, are not in full contact with the surface of the land throughout their length, uneven or incomplete heating of the label may result.

Many automatic addressing machines utilize a rotatable transfer wheel to bring the individual labels from the label supply into physical contact with the articles being addressed. For sustained and efficient machine operation, it is important that the transfer wheel perform this function reliably and with the assurance that the labels or the address information therefrom are properly located on the articles. To carry out this label transfer function, the transfer wheel ordinarily incorporates a vacuum holddown system designed to temporarily attach the labels to the transfer wheel. Failure or malfunction of this vacuum holddown system may jam or shutdown the machine or result in the placing of the labels or the address information in It is an object of the present invention to provide a label transfer wheel for heat transfer applications in which the transfer wheel label supporting surface is comprised of an electrical resistor heating material so that direct heating of the labels is effected.

This invention relates to a heat transfer wheel comprising a disc-like member adapted to be rotatably mounted and having at least one radially projecting land portion for temporarily supporting individual ones of the labels thereon while the member turns and the land moves from a label receiving position to a label discharge position, the transfer wheel land having at least two relatively narrow vacuum holddown grooves in the surface thereof and extending therealong in the plane of the transfer wheel, the length of the grooves being sufficient to enable individual labels to be vacuum attached thereto throughout substantially their entire length; means for communicating the grooves with a vacuum source; and label heating means disposed on the surface of the land to provide direct FIG. 4 is an enlarged elevational view of the label I transfer wheel shown in FIG. 1 showing the inside surface thereof;

FIG. 5 is a horizontal sectional view of the label transfer'wheel taken along lines 5-5 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is an exploded view showing a second embodiment of the label transfer wheel of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is shown an exemplary automatic addressing machine 5 incorporating the improved label transfer wheel 10 of the instant invention. Addressing machine 5 includes a housing or cover 9, parts of which have been broken away in FIG. 1 to show the construction of certain operating components therewithin. Addressing machine 5 has an article supply magazine 12 within which articles to be labeled are stacked, the walls 13 thereof being adjustable to accommodate articles of varying sizes. Article conveyor 14 is employed to move articles discharged in seriatim from magazine 12, under gate 15 and pinch roller 16, past label transfer wheel 10 where the labels or the address information therefrom is transferred to the articles. The article conveyor 14 comprises one or more endless belts 17, supported by drive and idler rollers 18, 19 respectively. Roller 18 is driven by suitable motor means (not shown) in the direction shown by the solid line arrow in FIG. 1.

Labels are supplied to head .22 of addressing machine 5 from a suitable source, normally in the form of an uncut sheet (not shown) having multiple label rows. Labeling head 22 includes suitable means (not shown) to advance the label sheet forward as required to guillotine knife 23 which serves to cut the label supply sheet transversely into strips of several labels each. The strips rest in a downwardly inclined chutelike member 24 and are advanced therealong in the direction of transfer wheel 10 by intermittently driven pinch roll pair 25 to knife and anvil pair 26.

Knife and anvil pair 26 cooperate to cut the strip into individual labels which are discharged therefrom onto land 30 of transfer wheel 10 as land 30 comes opposite the knife and anvil pair 26 during rotation of wheel 10. From there, wheel 10, which rotates in the direction shown by the solid line arrow of FIG. 1, carries the label into physical contact with the articles being labeled as the articles move therebelow on conveyor 14. It is understood that the several label supply components of labeling head 22 aforedescribed are operated in timed relationship with one another and with transfer wheel 10 and article transport 14 to assure the requisite supply of labels to transfer wheel 10 as required.

To assure the requisite pressure contact between the labels on land 30 of transfer wheel 10 with the articles on transport 14, there is provided opposite transfer wheel 10, a support roller 28 for transport belt 17. Roller 28 is rotated in the direction shown by the solid line arrow in FIG. 1 from the addressing machine motor (not shown).

As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the labels may be physically attached to the articles being labeled through the use of a suitable adhesive. Normally, the adhesive is applied to the underside of the label just prior to the time the label is brought into physical contact with the articles on transport 14 by transfer wheel 10. Alternately, the label information only may be transferred through a combination of heat and pressure generated between land 30 of transfer wheel 10 and pressure roller 28. In this application, the label information is printed on a special label paper such as a carbon type paper and heating means provided in land 30 for this purpose. In this latter application, the used labels may be dispensed withor collected for possible reuse in an adhesive type application.

Referring now to FIGS. lof the drawings, heat transfer wheel includes two major sections, land 30 and base 32. One face 33 of base 32 cooperates with vacuum distributor 72 to provide vacuum to land 30 while the opposite face 35 cooperates with brushes 70 to provide current to heating elements 66. Base 32 includes an aperture 36 therethrough for positioning wheel 10 on support shaft 37 of labeling head 22. Set screw 38 is provided for releasably locking base 32 onto shaft 37.

A pneumatic passage 40 is provided in base 32, inlet 41 thereto in face 33 of base 32 being arranged to communicate with vacuum distributor 72 for a predetermined interval as base 32 rotates. The opposite end 42 of passage 40 opens to the substantially planar support surface for manifold plate 55. Opposite face 35 of base 32 has an arcuate recess 44 therewithin for retaining the electrical wiring leading from commutator rings 69 to heating elements 66 in land 30. Recess 44 is best seen in FIG. 3.

Land 30 comprises a circular segment formed from a suitable thermally conductive rigid material such as aluminum, the curved exterior surface 45 thereof serving as a support for the labels. The radius of curvature of surface 45 is chosen to provide the requisite circumferential length for the size labels being handled while provided the necessary transfer wheel dimension to enable wheel 10 to carry the labels from the discharge of knife and anvil pair 26 into transfer contact with the articles being labeled on transport 14.

The exterior surface 45 of land 30 has a plurality of parallel closely spaced vacuum holddown grooves or slots 46 therein. Grooves 46, which are relatively shallow and narrow, extend from a point spaced slightly downstream of the forward end 47 of land 30 across the length of land 30 to the terminal end 47 thereof. Vacuum supply ports 48 open to the surface 45 of land 30 at the leading end of grooves 46. Ports 48 open to a vacuum supply chamber 49 in land 30, the outlet 51 of which opens into the lower face of land 30 opposite end 42 of vacuum supply passage 40 in base 32. Apertures 53, parallel to the axis of rotation of the heat transfer wheel 10, are also provided for the reception of heating rods 66.

Positioned intermediate base 32 and land 30 is a manifold plate 55 and various insulating elements. The manifold plate 55 is rigidly secured to land 30 as by screws 56 which extend through apertures 57 into mating apertures in land 30. A passage 58 through manifold plate 55 communicates vacuum passage 40 with outlet 51 of vacuum supply chamber 49 in land 30. An insulating rubber washer 59 is preferably provided to connect passage 40 of the base 32 with the passage 58 through manifold plate 55. For this construction, a suitable recess 61 is provided in the mounting surface of base 32 to accommodate washer 59.

Land 30 is rigidly secured to the base 32 to form an integral heat transfer wheel 10 as by screws 62. Suitable thermal insulators 63 are preferably provided between land 30 and base 32.-

Vacuum control valve in the form of set screw 64 is adjustably positioned in threaded aperture 65. Aperture 65 opens into vacuum passage 58 of manifold plate 55. As will beunderstood, movement of screw valve 64 into or out of aperture 65 varies the restrictive effect of screw valve 64 on the movement of air therethrough. By this means the degree of vacuum available to supply ports 48 and holddown grooves 46 may be increased or decreased as required.

In the arrangement shown in FIGS. 2-5 of the drawings, heat is supplied to the land 30 by rod-like heating elements 66 in land 30 which fit in the apertures 53. Heating elements 66 are arranged so that the thermal energy generated thereby radiates outwardly towards the surface of land 30 in a manner such that it is overlapped and supplemented by the thermal energy of the next adjacent heating rod element to provide even heating of surface 45 of land 30.

Power is supplied to the heating elements 66 through electrical leads 67 held within the recess 44 of base 32. Recess 44 with leads 67 therein is covered by an annularly shaped plate 68 fabricated from a material which is both thermally and electrically insulating such as fiberboard. Commutator rings 69 on plate 68 cooperate with power supply brushes 70 'to provide electrical energy to heating elements 66.

The heat transfer wheel 10 is mounted on shaft 37 of labeling head 22 for rotation therewith. Shaft 37 in turn is journaled in frame member 71 of labeling head 22. Face 35 of wheel 10 is normally inboard with commutator rings 69 thereof in contact with power supply brushes 70 on frame member 71.

Vacuum distributor 72 is journaled on shaft 37 on the outboard side of label transfer wheel 10, the interior face 73 thereof being in sealing contact with face 33 of transfer wheel 10. Face 73 of distributor 72 has an arcuate vacuum distributing recess 74 therein, the radial distance of recess 74 from shaft 37 being substantially equal tothe radial distance of vacuum passage inlet 41 from shaft 37. Hose 75 communicates vacuum distributing recess 74 in distributor 72 with a suitable source of vacuum.

It is understood that the position and arcuate extent of vacuum distributing recess 74 is chosen to communicate land 30 with vacuum when land 30 comes adjacent the discharge point of knife and anvil pair 26, the vacuum being sustained until the label carried by land 30 is physically transferred to the article on transport 14 being labeled or, in the case where the address information only is transferred, until some discharge point downstream of the transfer point.

In operation, as transfer wheel turns in the direction shown by the solid line arrow in FIG. 1, land 30 thereof comes opposite the discharge side of knife and anvil pair 26 once during each revolution of wheel 10. As land 30 nears knife and anvil pair 26, vacuum distributor 72 communicates, via recess 74 and interconnecting passages 40, 58 and 49 vacuum holddown ports 48 with the vacuum source. As the peripheral surface 45 of land 30 brushes against the portion of the label discharging from between knife and anvil pair 26, the relatively large vacuum holddown force generated by the open ports 48 causes the leading edge portion of the label to become attached thereto.

With attachment of the label onto the surface 45 of land 30 opposite ports 48, the direct communication of ports 48 with the atmosphere is closed off with the result that the vacuum force in holddown grooves 46 correspondingly increases, particularly in the area immediately in front of the label. The relatively high vacuum force now available in grooves 46 draws the label down in progressive fashion into contact with surface 45 of land 30 as the transfer wheel 10 turns. It is understood that the progressive closure of the vacuum holddown grooves 46 by the label drives the vacuum high point therealong ahead of the label thereby enhancing the pulldown effect of the vacuum on the label.

By this arrangement, labels are progressively and tightly affixed to the surface of land 30 so that the possibility of unattached label portions or buckling or creasing of the label during transfer is avoided or at least greatly reduced. In heat transfer applications, the improved contact between the labels and the surface of the transfer wheel land 30 facilitates uniform heating of the labels before transfer thereof.

In the arrangement shown in FIG. 6 wherein like numerals designate like parts, the transfer wheel land 30' thereshown is itself formed from a suitable thermal and between vacuum holddown grooves 46'. Resistor film 80 is continuous and uninterrupted from lead 81 to lead 82 to provide a complete electrical circuit. As will be understood, the passage of current through resistor film 80 generates heat which in turn heats the label held thereon by vacuum holddown grooves 46'.

Resistor film leads 81, 82 are connected through wires 84 with commutator rings 69 and the source of electrical energy.

In operation of the FIG. 6 arrangement, the in-.

dividual labels are attached to the surface 45' of land 30 in the manner explained heretofore as the land comes opposite the discharge side of'knife and anvil pair 26. The labels are carried by transfer wheel 10' into contact with the articles being labeled passing below wheel 10 on transport 14, where the label itself or the address information therefrom is transferred to the articles. During the interval while the label rests on land 30' of transfer wheel 10, contact between the film resistor 80 and the label heats the label to enable or facilitate the transfer operation aforedescribed. Due to the direct contact of the labels with the heat source, in

electrical insulating material. A film-like coating of electrically conductive resistor material 80 is provided on the surface 45' of land 30' along the sides of and this case resistor film 80, rapid and uniform heating of the label is assured.

While the invention has been. described with reference to the structure disclosed, it is not confined to the details set forth; but is intended to cover such modifications or changes as may come within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l A label heat transfer wheel comprising:

a disc-like member adapted to be rotatably mounted and having at least one radially projecting land portion for temporarily supporting individual ones of said labels thereon while said member turns and said land moves from a label receiving position to a label discharge position,

said transfer wheel land having at least two relatively narrow vacuum holddown grooves in the surface thereof and extending therealong in the plane of said transfer wheel, the length of said grooves being sufficient to enable individual labels to be vacuum attached thereto throughout substantially their entire length,

means for communicating said grooves with a vacuum source, and label heating means disposed on the surface of said land to provide direct heating of the labels attached thereto preparatory to label transfer, said label heating means comprising an electrically conductive material which functions as a resistor type heater means on passage of electric current therethrough.

2. The transfer wheel according to claim 1 in which the remainder of said land comprises an electrically insulating material.

3. The transfer wheel according to claim 1 in which said heating means comprises at least one strip-like electrical resistor heater on the periphery of said land and extending therealong in a direction paralleling said grooves, and means to electrically insulate said heater from said land.

i i t 

1. A label heat transfer wheel comprising: a disc-like member adapted to be rotatably mounted and having at least one radially projecting land portion for temporarily supporting individual ones of said labels thereon while said member turns and said land moves from a label receiving position to a label discharge position, said transfer wheel land having at least two relatively narrow vacuum holddown grooves in the surface thereof and extending therealong in the plane of said transfer wheel, the length of said grooves being sufficient to enable individual labels to be vacuum attached thereto throughout substantially their entire length, means for communicating said grooves with a vacuum source, and label heating means disposed on the surface of said land to provide direct heating of the labels attached thereto preparatory to label transfer, said label heating means comprising an electrically conductive material which functions as a resistor type heater means on passage of electric current therethrough.
 2. The transfer wheel according to claim 1 in which the remainder of said land comprises an electrically insulating material.
 3. The transfer wheel according to claim 1 in which said heating means comprises at least one strip-like electrical resistor heater on the periphery of said land and extending therealong in a direction paralleling said grooves, and means to electrically insulate said heater from said land. 